To Use real world data or Create real world data

Many teachers struggle with the dilemma of using data in the classroom. Data is integral to science exploration, and also happens to be used for standards-based testing. Students must know what data looks like, and how to properly analyze it. Time restrictions severely hamper hands-on activities and labs in the science classroom, and data collection becomes a daunting task.

I have found my students to be very weak in charts, graphs, and therefore, data collection. At first I would struggle through one "beginning to end" lab and then quickly implement pre-made data sets to use, but found that students did not retain the methods nor comprehend the parallels between data sets and their work in a lab. I set out to fix this problem by devoting more class time to work through students creating real world data. Grounded in inquiry methods I reasoned the best way for students to really learn data methods was to practice data methods from beginning to end. Struggling with measurement tools, understanding rounding and averaging, and learning to think critically about observations are important aspects of science that are reinforced with data collection.

Since I have been most recently working with elementary students, I have found that most digital data out there is too complex for my students. As a result I have stuck with an isolationist approach to data. I create my own, or continue to follow my inquiry foundation, letting students always created their own data. This is something I am not proud of, but rather execute as a result of necessity. I struggle with the fact that I continue to create real world data at the local level. I have used city and state data from time to time, but even that information quickly becomes to overwhelming for my students.

I have enjoyed chapters six and seven out of Technology in the Secondary Science Classroom but between my technology issues and student foundations, I cannot seem to implement these resources as I would like. Yes I have kept up with the opportunities on the web, and yes I have even provided many of these sites, and similar ones for enrichment or review, but I cannot seem to get them into the classroom as an active part of a lesson.

I struggle with only one computer, without the capability of the latest flashware, nor the bandwidth to run streaming video or audio, in the classroom. At least half of my students do not have computers at home, and 3/4 cannot tell you how to turn a CPU on. I have often brought in my own computer to supplement materials because I have had technology as a part of my education for the last fifteen years, and I know computers are a staple of higher education.

One way I have continued to try to bring online data to my non-digital classroom is by working with universities. Finding undergraduate sutdents who are completing Independent Study or working on University Research love help imputting data. In the recent past, this has been a simple Excel sheet. I can pick up the field notes and my students and I can log the data into digital format. Even old Win95 has Excel that doesn't cause conversion errors when I get it back to the University. I have not been able to do this type of project since the advent of googledocs, but I believe this would make it even easier to help scientists.

I must admit that my use of real world online data is lacking in the classroom. In my defense I try to at least model Step Three of the Guidelines for Best Practices on page 48: "Guide students through inquiries that are local in focus and bring in collaborators."

My students respond best with exciting guests. Yes, that guest might be the local waste water treatment plant supervisor, but it is someone different to listen to. I have worked hard to help students understand that inquiry is a life skill, and most careers they are interested in are based on problem solving and critical thinking. Having guests present their career choice, and tie it into our science lesson has helped make science a real world experience when I cannot bring digitally based data and inquiry to the classroom.